Social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that affects 4.7% of Australians each year. The complex interplay between psychoevolutionary and cognitive models has become the focus of research in recent years, particularly with the development of the bivalent fear of evaluation model (i.e., negative and positive evaluation fears). The present study aimed to test a model of social anxiety symptoms using structural equation modelling, integrating previously fragmented evidence. A sample of 255 participants (75.3% female; M_ages = 31.9, SD = 10.3) undertook an online survey, including Social Phobia Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-Straightforward, Fear of Positive Evaluation, Concerns of Social Reprisal, and Disqualifications of Positive Social Outcomes measures. The hypothesised model for social anxiety symptoms described the data reasonably well (? 2 (1) = 4.917, p = .027, CFI = .995, GFI = .992, SRMR = .017), explaining 57.1% of social anxiety variance. Study hypotheses were supported with bivalent fear of evaluation accounting for unique variance in cognitive distortions, which in turn accounted for unique variation in social anxiety symptoms. Effect sizes indicate bivalent fears of evaluation and disqualification of positive social outcomes as important predictors of social anxiety symptoms. Although replication in a clinical cohort and experimental confirmation are needed, the findings suggest a focus on disqualification of positive social outcomes to alleviate social anxiety symptoms.

Exactly what This subject Adds?

Feeling sizes advise that the newest intellectual deformation disqualification of positive societal outcomes is an important convertible predictor out-of social anxiety episodes.

Addition

Public anxiety disorder (SAD) try a psychological state procedure which someone worry and you can endure with discomfort otherwise end personal circumstances, instance societal telecommunications or shows you to erican Psychological Association, 2013 ). Unfortunate have a projected several?month prevalence away from 4.7% (Australian Agency from Analytics, 2007 ) and you will a lifestyle incidence away from twelve% (Kessler ainsi que al., 2005 ). People with Unfortunate be much more than two times as planning face jobless in contrast to those with almost every other panic disorders (Moitra, Mustache, Weisberg, Keller, 2011 ). Considering the feeling away from Unfortunate, it’s important to see the hidden process that can influence social stress attacks.

Social nervousness typically could have been described as in the a good anxiety about negative testing (FNE) (Watson Pal, 1969 ). The relationship between Unfortunate and you may FNE could have been widely supported (Koci ; Menatti mais aussi al., 2015 ; Weeks, 2015 ; Days Howell, 2012 ; Yap, Gibbs, Francis, Schuster, 2016 ). An impression out-of FNE could have been recognized as a genetic possibilities detection program from our psychoevolutionary earlier in the day one encourages me to modify behaviors in a way that covers united states out-of public harm, eg a loss in entry to class information because of exclusion (Clark Wells, 1995 ; Gilbert, 2001 ). Considering patterns pertaining to FNE are theorised in order to intensify and perpetuate social anxiety periods (Rapee Heimberg, 1997 ).

Now, fear of confident comparison (FPE) might have been noticed in the search, suggesting you to FNE and you can FPE co?exist just like the a bivalent concern with testing (BFOE), where anyone fear assessment typically (Days Howell, 2014 ). The partnership between Unfortunate and you will FPE has gained increasing assistance for the the past few years (Koci ; Menatti ainsi que al., 2015 ; Months, 2015 ; Months Howell, 2012 ; Yap ainsi que al., 2016 ). Whereas FNE is worried which have a bad change during the review, FPE is worried having an optimistic shift inside the analysis. An impression out-of FPE might have been considered as a genetic risk identification system one motivates avoidant behavior into are analyzed also favorably, so you’re able to slow down the threat of signalling complications and you may inadvertently stepping into unnecessary dispute otherwise competition (Trower Gilbert, 1989 ; Days Howell, 2014 ). The brand new considering designs surrounding BFOE have not but really already been fixed (Heimberg, Brozovich, Rapee, 2010 ), and generally are the focus from the paper.